


Island Falls

by KittyKatBella



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: ADHD Character, Alternate Universe - Relativity Falls, Autistic Character, Boat, F/F, M/M, Nicknames, Other, Sea sick, Uncharted Island, Unrequited Crush, shipwrecked
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-20 00:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12421002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyKatBella/pseuds/KittyKatBella
Summary: After Preston buys tickets to go on a week-long mini-cruise, he passes them out to his friends. Everyone is ecstatic to get out of Gravity Falls for a week and spend some time bonding on a boat.But when the boat travels through a storm, tossing everyone overboard and killing the captain, they're forced to tough it out on an uncharted island in the middle of the ocean. Stranded with limited supplies and sanity, will the group survive until they're rescued, or will starvation and the urge to murder their island mates kill them off first?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! So this is a story I'm writing with my friends. Their Instagrams are below:
> 
> Spookybrxkensmol  
> Theodosia.bloodline  
> Spooky_purple._person  
> gravityfalls_6.18_fan.page  
> Ravenclaw.at.heart.01

"Pines! There you are!"

"Hey Northwest," Stan nodded at the boy from his spot on the couch outside the old Northwest manor. One arm was around Bella, while the other held a soda in its hand. Fiddleford and Ford sat nearby in the grass, with Ford slowly braiding Fiddleford's hair with instructions from the other boy. "What's up?"

"I've been looking for the four of you," Preston grinned. "Week-long cruise this Saturday, all paid for by yours truly."

He fanned out the four tickets, letting each teen see them.

"Oh my gosh!" Bella squealed, jumping up and snatching one of the tickets. "I've never been on a cruise before!"

"What's the catch?" Ford asked suspiciously.

"No catch," Preston promised. "Although it's not _quite_ a cruise... the boat is much smaller, and it's only going to be the twelve of us. Us, Bud, Dan, Shandra, Tambry, Ed, and Daryl."

"That's eleven," Fiddleford spoke. Preston tilted his head in thought.

"Oh, and Toby," Preston added. "I always forget about Toby."

The other four mumbled in agreement.

\-----

"A cruise, huh?" Dan grinned, leaning against the tree he was hacking down. The set the tip of the ax on the ground, setting his hand on top of it. "Sounds awesome, man! This Saturday, huh? That gives me time to pack..." Dan scratched at the start of a beard on his chin in thought. "What time should we be at the dock?"

"Eight o'clock in the morning sharp," Preston answered. "The boat leaves at 8:30, which gives us half an hour to load up and get settled. Oh," he pulled the other tickets out of his pocket and passed them over to Dan, "and make sure you invite your friends, too."

"Will do, man!" Dan nodded. "Oh man, this is gonna be so sweet!"

\-----

"A cruise? Well shoot, that sounds delightful!"

"Great," Preston smiled, handing Bud the ticket. "Make sure you pack light. There's not that much room, after all."

"Got it," Bud nodded. "Who else is comin'?"

"The Mystery Team and Dan and his friends," Preston answered.

"Ooh! An entire week on a boat with my marshmellah," Bud giggled.

"Yeah, sure Bud," Preston rolled his eyes. "But something tells me that she still doesn't like you."


	2. All Aboard!

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, here it is!"

Preston grinned as he motioned towards the small boat, which was tethered to the dock. The other eleven teens looked at the boat with varying emotions showing on their faces.

"It's, um... small," Bud said.

"It's awesome!" Bella squealed, bouncing on her feet. "I love small spaces!"

"Uh- yeah!" Bud agreed. "It's... nice."

Just then, the captain walked out onto the deck. She had blond hair that was pulled back in a messy, wind-swept ponytail, as well as well-developed muscles from her time sailing.

"Hello there!" She greeted. "And welcome aboard the S.S. Storm! I'm Captain Celia, and I'll be the one steering the boat on your trip. Now, let's get everyone and their things on board!"

Everyone chatted excitedly as they began to drag their bags onto the boat. Bella and Shandra passed the captain, each typing on their phones.

"Ah-ah!" Celia put her arm in front of the two of them. "No electronics allowed on the boat."

"Wait, what?!" Bella and Shandra cried in varying degrees of panic.

"No no no, that um, tha-at's gonna be a problem," Bella worried, clutching her phone to her chest.

"Don' worry, Bella," Fiddleford said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It's only a week, an' ya've got some'a yer Beanie Boos, don' ya?"

"Yeah, but my phone is a bigger comfort object," Bella whimpered.

"Hey, I'd be willing to watch it for you," Mabel offered. "I promise I won't let anything happen to it!"

"Mm..." Bella squirmed and shut down her phone, slowly handing it over to Mabel. Shandra did the same, looking strangely out of place without a screen to hide behind.

"Don't worry babe, I've got you," Stacey smiled, putting her arm around Shandra's waist.

"Boy, I'd _haaate_ to be you two," Toby said. The group soon finished putting all their bags away in the two rooms and stood on deck, saying goodbye to their families.

"Have fun, sweetie," Pacifica said, petting Preston's hair down. "Oh, are you sure you want to do this? Salt is _awful_ for your hair, you know."

"Mother, it's fine," Preston assured. "They have a shower, I can wash it out."

"Well I'm going pirate style," Stan grinned, raising his arms in triumph. "No bathing!"

Dan laughed.

"That's gross, man," Daryl folded his arms.

"Well I'm probably gonna be going executive dysfunction style," Bella rolled her eyes.

"What's that?" Ed asked.

"Because of my autism/ADHD I have trouble getting up and starting doing things," Bella explained. "Homework, eating, going to the bathroom, _taking_ _a shower_... and that's called executive dysfunction."

"Executive _function_ is the ability ta plan out an' begin tasks," Fiddleford added. "It don' work in ADHD an' autistic brains."

"Oh."

"Ok now people, say your final goodbyes to your friends and family!" Captain Celia called. "We're about to leave!"

"Bye Graunty Mabel!" Stan said, giving the woman one last hug.

"Have fun, you two," Dipper smiled.

"We will," Ford nodded. The group finally all boarded the boat, standing on deck as it began to float off into the ocean. They waved to those left on shore, including Mabel, who was beaming and waving quickly.

"HAVE A GOOD TIME!" She screamed, causing everyone to laugh. The horn on the boat sounded suddenly. Bella yelled and jumped, quickly covering her ears.

"Ugh, I forgot boats do that," she groaned.


	3. We're Settin' Sail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bella: Before we start, some of the other authors would like to say some things.
> 
> Theo: So far I'm enjoying this story, and I'd love to be your editor to help upgrade and look through the chapters so that I can fix through any mistakes. I honestly want to help out, but I don't know how. ALSO, enjoy her work!
> 
> Mike: Hi, um... I'd like to say that I get about 1/10 of the credit for this story, and the rest of it goes to the others who helped... Um, if anyone talks shit about the story I'll send an assassin after them. No, never mind- I don't know.
> 
> Meg: Um. Thanks for reading I really appreciate. Like they are AWESOME!

"Hey. You good?"

"Hm?" Bella looked at Stan, who had just sat beside her. Bella herself was currently sitting on one of the benches, her arms and head resting on the edge of the boat as she looked out at sea. "Yeah. Why?"

"You just seem quiet," Stan shrugged.

"I like boats," Bella grinned, looking back at the water. "The tilting is nice."

"Erg- fer you, maybe," Fiddleford groaned, looking slightly green. "Who knew I'd be sea sick?"

"You think you'll be alright, hon?" Ford asked.

"Yeah..." Fiddleford nodded. "Ah'll be good..."

"Well, ain't this nice!" Bud smiled, oblivious to Fiddleford's suffering. "Smell that fresh ocean air! Ain't this amazin', marshmellah?"

"What would be amazing is my fist going through your face," Stan threatened. Bud laughed nervously and scooted over to the other side of the boat.

Meanwhile, Ed and Daryl were at the front of the boat, with Daryl holding his boyfriend up Titanic-style.

"I'm the king of the world!" Ed laughed, holding his arms out. Daryl chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"You sure are, Edwin," he agreed.

Shandra sat with Stacey on another bench, twitching slightly. She tapped her fingers on her legs, almost like she was typing on a phone.

"I can't do this, man," Shandra mumbled. "I've never gone this long without my phone... does anyone else hear that humming?!"

"Babe, _relax_ ," Stacey said, setting her hands on Shandra's. "You'll be fine, I promise. Try and focus on something else. Like me."

"Hehe, ok," Shandra chuckled.

"So, is everyone having fun?" Preston asked. "Because if not, I'm expecting my money's worth for this trip, and I _will_ sue if needed."

"I don' think we'll... need ta sue, Preston," Fiddleford said, pausing in the middle of his sentence to try not to barf. "Really."

"Yeah, this trip is really nice so far," Toby agreed. "Everyone is having fun."

"Dan fell asleep already," Stacey snickered, pointing at the boy. He was spread out in a seat, his hat over his eyes as he breathed softly. The rest of the group laughed quietly, making sure to not rouse the man.

\-----

That afternoon, the captain came out to announce that dinner was ready. The group happily followed her below deck, Ford with one hand on Fiddleford's back. As soon as the boy reached the door and smelled the dinner, however, he turned even greener and raced up to the deck, barfing over the edge and into the water.

"Uh oh," Ford frowned, following him and rubbing his boyfriend's back. Bella soon appeared from below as well, covering her nose in a panic.

"No, no, no, nuh-uh," she shook her head. "That is a _S_ _trong_ scent. With a capital 'S'."

"Erg, yer tellin' me," Fiddleford moaned, wiping at his mouth. "This is awful..."

"I'm sorry, Fidds," Ford said, continuing to rub his back. "That you feel so bad."

"Ain't yer fault," Fiddleford sighed. "Ah just... need ta go lay down."

"Alright," Ford nodded, leading him into the bunks. Bella sat up on deck by herself, breathing deeply and watching the sun set.

"I wish I had brought my camera," she mumbled, leaning against her hand. Her stomach rumbled, and she made a face. "I wish I had some food, too."

"The lairde asks and she doth receive."

Bella jumped and turned to see Stan at the door, grinning and holding two sandwiches. Bella gasped happily and beamed, wiggling slightly as Stan walked over and handed her the peanut butter sandwich.

"Where'd you get this?" Bella asked, taking a bite.

"Snuck into the kitchen," Stan shrugged, taking a bite of his own sandwich. "Oh, and I got you this." He handed Bella a Pitt Cola, which she happily cracked open. "My own personal stash."

"You're the best," Bella grinned, leaning over and leaving a kiss on Stan's lips. It tasted just like peanut butter.


	4. The Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bella: Hello! So Ravenclaw and Purple Person have chosen nicknames, and those names are Isabelle and PPerson, respectfully.
> 
> Isabelle: Hey guys, this is my first time writing a collaborative story, and I think it's pretty cool. I hope you guys like it, and everyone who's reading it, thanks a bunch for your support!
> 
> PPerson: Ok support my wife, ship fiddauthor, my friends who made this are simply great, skeet skeet read and review pls |-/
> 
> Bella: Also!! As this chapter was being wrote, Isabelle (Ravenclaw-at-heart on Wattpad) finished writing and uploaded the last chapter of her very first fanfic, so!! Go read it!! It's fantastic!!

Bella blinked her eyes open, squinting at the surrounding space. The cabin was empty, apart from their bunkmates' belongings. Dan, Preston, Bud, and Toby were already awake and, apparently, up on deck. Not much surprise there; Bella was usually the last to wake up, and judging from the arm around her waist, Stan had waited for her to do so.

Bella yawned and turned over, facing Stan. He was already awake as well, and smiling lightly.

"Morning," he greeted, kissing the hickey on Bella's neck. The teen giggled, kissing Stan's nose in return.

"Morning," she responded quietly, yawning again. As a result, Stan yawned as well. The couple chuckled. "Tired?"

"Of you? Never," Stan teased, softly kissing Bella's lips, eyes fluttering shut.

"Mm, I love you," Bella murmured, continuing the kiss.

"I love you too," Stan smiled. "Why don't we go up on deck?"

"Yeah, alright," Bella said, sitting up and shrugging off the blanket. She pulled her nightshirt off before tugging her bra over her head and getting dressed. Stan watched as he got dressed as well, kissing the top of Bella's head and squeezing her butt when they were both done.

"You're beautiful," he grinned.

"I know," Bella giggled.

They walked up to the deck hand-in-hand, stepping out into the dull sunlight. Clouds floated by in the sky, light gray and sparse. Preston was sitting and reading a fancy rich-person magazine, Ed and Daryl were (attempting) to fish off the side of the boat, but weren't doing very well, and Dan, Bud, and Toby were playing a card game on the floor of the deck.

"Hey guys," Stan greeted, and was met with various responses. "Where's the nerds and the emos?"

"They're all still asleep," Daryl answered. "Poor Fiddleford, he was still green when we went down to bed."

"Ah, Fiddlesticks just needs to get his sea legs," Stan waved it off.

"I don't understand how someone can get sick by this," Bella grinned, sitting and swaying with the boat. "It's _soooooo niiiice_..."

"That's because you have that sensory thing, dude," Dan spoke up, playing a card. "It probably feels better to you."

"Aw, marbles!" Toby pouted, having just lost.

"Good point," Bella nodded. "So, when's breakfast?"

"We only serve dinner," Celia answered, swinging on a rope from the control panel down to the deck. "You guys are free to raid the kitchen for breakfast and lunch."

"Oh, how lovely," Bud smiled. "I could make pancakes."

"Pancakes sound good," Bella agreed. "You should add a bit of vanilla extract. It's what my dad does, and he mixes _great_ pancakes."

"Anything fer you, marshmellah," Bud batted his eyelashes.

"Ew. Maybe I'll just have a granola bar," Bella grumbled. Just then, Shandra and Stacey appeared on the deck, the latter with an arm around the other's waist. 

"Hey losers," Stacey nodded her head at the group.

"Hey."

"Sup?"

"I'd prefer to not identify with that term."

"Oh get over it, Northwest," Stacey rolled her eyes.

"Hi guys!" Ed waved. "We're fishin'!"

He reeled in his hook, which was bare, and prepared to toss it back out into the water.

"Edwin, darlin', your hook doesn't have any bait," Daryl pointed out.

"Oh. I guess it doesn't," Ed laughed before grabbing some bait and threading the hook through it.

\-----

The group of friends were all down below, cramped together in the kitchen. Bud had almost finished making all the pancakes while the others ate when Fiddleford and Ford entered the kitchen.

"Mornin', y'all," Fiddleford yawned. "Pancakes fer breakfast?"

"Yup!" Bud grinned. "Saved some fer y'all.

"Oh, thank you, Bud," Ford smiled.

"The southern accents collide," Bella murmured, glancing between Fiddleford and Bud. Stan snickered.

"You feeling any better this morning, Fiddlesticks?" Dan asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Mm, a bit," Fiddleford shrugged. "Maybe. Ah only just woke up."

"Don't worry man, if I remember correctly, it should go away in a few days," Daryl spoke. "Once you're used to the boat moving."

"Hooray!" Fiddleford smiled.

"Unfortunately, it can then take some time to get used to being on land again," Ford added. "And you can become 'land sick'."

"Hooray," Fiddleford groaned sarcastically. "Thanks, Ford. That's exactly what Ah wanted ta hear right now."

"Come on Fidds, just try eating something," Stan suggested, piling a couple pancakes onto a plate and bringing them over to Fiddleford. "They say you should try to keep some sort of food in your stomach. It helps."

"Thanks, Stan," Fiddleford smiled again.


	5. The Storm, pt 1

The captain hummed as she steered the ship, her eyes traveling up to the cloud-filled skies ahead.

"Ahoy, sailors!" Celia announced, catching everyone's attention. "We're in for some rough waters ahead! Shouldn't be too bad, though. Just some rain."

"Well, I'll be staying downstairs, then," Bella spoke, slapping her hands down on her thighs. "Rain feels bad."

"You- you don' think anything bad'll happen?" Bud asked nervously.

"Like the ship sinks?" Stacey suggested, smirking. "Nah. I'm sure we'll just crash on an island and be all alone."

"Y-you think?" Ed whimpered.

"Hey, you cut that out," Daryl snapped. "Don't worry Edwin, we'll be just fine."

\-----

Preston looked up from his magazine at feeling a big raindrop plop onto his forehead. He looked at the sky, which was filled with dark gray clouds.

"Alright, everyone who doesn't want to get rained on, below deck!" Celia announced. Everyone went down into the rooms, except for the captain. She stayed up above, steering the boat through the storm.

"So, what does everyone want to do?" Bella asked. She was holding all four of the Beanie Boos she had brought. Two were dolphins, one pink and one purple, and the other two were fish, one orange and one rainbow.

"Well, I was going to read a bit," Ford said.

"Ugh, Ah wish Ah could read," Fiddleford stuck his tongue out in disgust. "But Ah get sick when Ah'm lookin' at the pages."

"I could read to you," Ford offered with a smile.

"Oh, thank ya, darlin'," Fiddleford grinned back.

"I'm gonna take a nap," Stan yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

"I'll join you," Bella said. "Even if I'm just gonna lay and listen to the rain."

Everyone else broke up to do their own things, some people going to the kitchen and others staying in their bunks. Stan and Bella laid down in their bed, Stan putting one arm around his bifriend. Bella grinned, closing her eyes and listening to the rain fall into the water.

The boat began to rock more, and the sound of Fiddleford barfing into the toilet joined the rain. Preston entered the bunk Bella and Stan were in, grabbing a towel and running it over his hair.

"It's getting pretty bad out there," he said quietly, noticing Bella's open eyes.

"That's just what I want to hear when I'm on a boat," Bella mumbled.

"Sorry," Preston frowned slightly. Thunder rumbled loudly outside, causing Stan to open his eyes and squint angrily at the underwater window. Lightning flashed, illuminating the cabin ever so slightly.

"This is the one time I don't want to be in a thunderstorm," Bella said quietly, clutching her Beanie Boos closer to her. Thunder and lightning flashed again and the boat shook violently. Bella quickly sat up, fear in her eyes.

"Is that a bad thing?" Stan asked, sitting up as well.

"I don't-"

"GUYS!" Bud cried, running into the room. He was soaked, with his usually-styled hair hanging down past his shoulders. "The captain is dead! The boat is on fire!"

"WHAT?!" The other three cried. Before they could move, another bolt of lightning struck the boat, cracking it in half down the hallway between the bunks. Screams were heard from the other rooms as the wood caught fire.

"Shit!" Stan yelped, gripping Bella's hand.

"What do we do?!" Bud cried, avoiding the fire. Preston hurried over to the window, using a piece of wood to break it open.

"Swim up to the surface!" He yelled as water began pouring in. "There's a raft up there; someone grab it!"

The four of them managed to escape, kicking their way up to the surface of the water. However, managing to stay above the water long enough to breathe well was a challenge. Stan managed to keep hold of Bella, but they were separated from the others. Stan looked around, attempting to blink the water out of his eyes.

He spotted a large wooden board floating nearby and grabbed onto it, tugging Bella so she was on it as well. The board was able to keep them above water long enough to talk.

"Do you see the raft?!" Stan yelled over the storm.

"I can't see _shit_!" Bella shouted back, rubbing at her eyes. Stan noticed that her glasses were missing.

" _STAN! BELLA!_ "

Stan looked for the source of the shout, seeing Preston clinging to an inflatable raft. The wild waves pushed them together, and Stan was able to reach the raft. He grabbed the side, with Bella clinging to his shoulder, and pulled the two of them inside. It wasn't much better than the wooden board, to be honest.

"Where's everyone else?!" Stan yelled, his eyes scanning the water. Debris from the boat littered the ocean, and the two halves left were sinking into the water.

"I don't know!" Preston yelled back. "I don't see anyone!"

Stan tried not to think about the fact that his brother and best friend might just be in the half of the boat currently on its way towards the bottom of the ocean.


	6. The Storm, pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bella: Heyo! Who enjoyed the cliffhanger? XD Well, here's part two of The Storm! Let's see who's alive, shall we?  
> Also, I saw a theory post where Fiddleford has Strabismus/lazy eye, which is why his eyes go in different directions when he's not wearing his glasses, so that's canon in this fic.
> 
> Theo: MY BRAIN IS WRECKING TO HELP THIS POOR AUTHOR BUT SHIT IT WON'T WORK. Anyway enjoy her chapter!

Stan continued to look around, despite the fierce storm impairing his sight. He refused to believe that Ford and Fiddleford and all the others could be dead. He just had to find them.

"HELP!"

"That's Bud!" Bella shouted, her head turning and trying, uselessly, to locate the boy.

"Over there!" Preston pointed. Stan looked where he was pointing and saw Bud struggling to swim and keep his head above the waves.

"BUD! OVER HERE!" Stan yelled, waving his arms.

"I CAN'T... SWIM!" Bud cried, coughing. Stan groaned and started paddling through the water towards Bud. Preston and Bella helped him, and they were able to reach the ex-physic just as he went underwater. Stan and Preston grabbed him by his arms, tugging him into the raft.

"Oh thank goodness!" Bud panted. "Thank y'all so much!"

"Don't mention it!" Stan answered. A bolt of lightning struck the water nearby, making the four teens jump. Stan squinted towards where the lightning had touched, but all he could see was debris. The storm was beginning to calm down, and the waves became a bit more flat.

Now that the rain was letting up, Stan could see a bit more. He spotted something floating just by the raft and grabbed the objects. They were two of Bella's Beanie Boos: the orange fish and the pink dolphin.

"Here," Stan handed them to Bella, who gasped and grabbed them.

"Sparkles, Sami!" Bella clung to the Beanie Boos. "You're ok!"

"Oh yes, I'm sure a pair of stuffed animals are of utmost importance," Preston snapped sarcastically.

"Leave her alone, Preston!" Stan snapped back. A loud gasp caught their attention, and Stan spun to see Fiddleford pop above water and cling to a wooden board. "FIDDS!"

The boy turned to look at Stan, relief flooding his face. He pushed off from the board, swimming with the waves towards the raft. Stan grabbed his hands once he reached them and pulled him aboard. Fiddleford gripped the raft, coughing up water off the side.

"Oh, sweet banjo polish..."

"Fidds!" Bella cried, quickly hugging him around the neck. Her sudden movement tilted the raft a bit.

"Bella! Yer ok!" Fiddleford sighed in relief. He was missing his glasses as well, and he appeared to be crosseyed.

"Fidds, where's Ford?!" Stan asked desperately. "Is he ok?!"

"Ah- Ford-" Fiddleford shook his head. "Ah dunno! Last Ah saw him he was runnin' towards the deck... an' then the boat was struck in half an' Ah couldn't see anythin' through the fire."

"Oh no..."

\-----

None of them slept once the storm was over. After arguing about how there wasn't enough space, Stan was picked to hang off the edge of the raft till morning. Now that the sun had risen, they could see that there wasn't anything around for miles. The only evidence that the boat had even existed was spare bits of wood and the raft.

"Well what do we do now?" Preston asked.

"We can' just keep floatin' in the middle'a the ocean," Fiddleford spoke. "We'll need food an' water eventually."

"Well we're surrounded by water," Bud said.

"You can't drink salt water, dipshit," Bella growled.

"Well _sooorry_ for not knowin' that," Bud rolled his eyes.

"Guys! We can' start arguin' like this already!" Fiddleford said, causing the two to become silent. "We need ta figure out a way ta get ta land. Whether it be an island or maybe back to Gravity Falls."

"Well I won't be any help," Bella huffed. "I can't see anything. Unless it's right in front of my face."

"We can keep an eye out for land," Preston offered.

"Great," Stan grunted, tightening his grip on the raft. "Can I get in the raft now? I'm cold and tired."

"Yeah, someone else should take a turn," Bella agreed.

"I vote for Bud," Stan spoke.

"What?! But I can' swim!" Bud protested.

"Great time to learn, hanging off the side of a raft," Preston said. Bud groaned and moved to take Stan's place. The raft rocked and tilted as the older boy climbed into it, bringing sea water with him. Bud dropped off into the water, clinging tightly to the raft.

"So how do we find land?" Stan asked. "Just float around until something comes along?"

"Ah suppose that's the best we can do," Fiddleford frowned. "Until we see any hints'a land nearby."

"Ugh, this is going to take forever!" Preston complained.


	7. Barely Surviving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isabelle: Hey readers! I am working on a cover for this story, and hope to have it completed as soon as possible. Hope you're all nice and freaked out about whether or not these guys are gonna come across any of their friends' dead bodies in the ocean! 

As the sun breached the horizon, Preston was the only one awake to greet it. The other four were sleeping in the raft, huddled together against the water. The rich boy kicked his feet lightly, adjusting his arm to look at his watch. Two hours and then some had officially passed.

"Psst. Hey," Preston poked Fiddleford, waking him up slightly. "Hey, Country Boy."

"Hm?" Fiddleford blinked and squinted at Preston. "Whassit?"

"Your turn to sit in the ocean," Preston said. "Let me up."

"Alrigh', alrigh'," Fiddleford yawned. The two teenagers switched positions, allowing Preston to lay down in the raft. He closed his eyes, struggling to get comfortable- or, as comfortable as could be- and rest.

The sun climbed higher into the sky, soon making it too hot and bright to sleep. All five teens were awake now, sitting idlely in the raft.

"...I'm thirsty," Bella said after awhile.

"We all are," Preston snapped. "But we only have a limited supply of water."

The raft, the group had found, had come equipped with a stash of emergency supplies. Dozens of freeze-dried meals than served everyone twice, half a dozen bottles of water, a flashlight, a lighter, a compass, a first aid kid, and fishing tools were among some of what was stashed away.

"But we have like, six bottles!" Bella complained. "Can't I have a little?"

"We don' know how long it'll be till we reach land, Bella," Fiddleford said. "That water migh' just barely last us."

Bella sighed and slumped down into the raft, running a hand over her dolphin's ruined 'fur'. She hadn't let go of either of the Beanie Boos since the shipwreck, and even now they both rested on her stomach. With no warning, she began to cry.

"Babe? What's wrong?" Stan asked from the side of the raft.

"Flips, an-and Flippy- I lost them," Bella sobbed, clinging to the two Beanie Boos she had left. "When the- the ship went do-own."

"Oh for goodness sake," Preston rolled his eyes. "We're stranded in the middle of the ocean with limited food and water, and you're worried about a pair of _stuffed animals_?!"

"Hey, leave her alone!" Stan yelled at the boy.

"They're a comfort object fer her," Fiddleford glared, moving to wrap an arm around Bella. "She freaks out when she loses one under normal conditions. Ah'm surprised she lasted this long without a meltdown."

"...are they really that special?" Bud asked softly. Bella was unable to speak at this point, instead only breathing heavily and clinging to herself. Her body was visibly tense, and her hands were closed tight around the fabric of her shirt.

"Extremely," Fiddleford answered for her, rubbing her arm.

"Bella, sweetie," Stan spoke, and the teen looked over at him through her tears. "When we get home, I'll replace both of your Beanie Boos for ya, ok? And buy you three new ones."

"Mm?" Bella made a questioning noise.

"Really," Stan grinned. Bella sniffed and dug her palms into her eyes, desperately wiping away the tears.

The days passed by slowly, filled with endless twenty question games and one-word storytelling. At points, Bella was too bored to play even those games (which she had suggested), and resorted to sitting in silence, which was odd for everyone aboard. They always put off eating as long as possible, in order to make the food last longer, but once Bella was about to have a meltdown from hunger, they couldn't wait any longer.

"I wish we could cook this stuff more than with just a lighter," Bella said when they were eating one of the meals. It had included chicken, as well as various fruits and veggies.

"Yeah, raw vegetables are pretty gross," Bud agreed.

"No no, raw vegetables are fuckin' awesome," Bella shook her head. "Carrots kinda suck without ranch, though. I mean the chicken. It's already gross without the bread- breading?- but it's like way too chewy."

"Well it ain't exactly like have the option to not eat it, Bella," Fiddleford said. "These meals're all we got."

"I know," Bella sighed. She bit a carrot in half. "...did you know that it takes the same amount of jaw force to bite a carrot in half as it does to bite off a human finger?"

"...I did not," Preston replied slowly, eyeing her strangely. "Why do you know that?"

"Tumblr," Bella shrugged. "...I miss Tumblr."

"...Does that mean I could easily bite off my own finger?" Stan asked.

"Well, no, because your brain won't let you," Bella said. "But you could bite someone else's finger off."

"Huh," Stan nodded. He saw Bud hide his hands behind his back. "Relax, Gleeful. I'm not gonna bite your finger off. ...right now."

"'Right _now_ '?" Bud repeated, his voice high with nerves.

"Keep flirtin' with my bifriend and we'll see how well it goes," Stan threatened, returning to his meal.

"...I know we probably shouldn't waste any food, so..." Bella held up a handful of strawberry tops, "does anyone want the leaves from my strawberries? I know they're edible, I just... I really can't."

"Here, Ah'll have 'em," Fiddleford said, holding out his hands. "Unless anyone else wants some?"

The others shook their heads and denied his offer.

The teens fell back into an uncomfortable silence, with nothing except the gentle splashing of ocean waves and their own miserable contemplations, wondering what was in store for them and their friends.

If their friends were even still alive.


	8. Chapter 8

"This is like an episode of 'I Shouldn't Be Alive'."

"An episode of what?" Preston asked.

"It's a show on animal planet," Bella explained, staring at the horizon. "Every episode is about a different person or group of people who ended up in a really difficult situation to survive. And they tell about how they _did_ survive. Except not everyone in the group always _does_."

"That's a great thing ta hear when we're floatin' in the middle of the ocean," Bud deadpanned.

"Hey Fidds, do y'think we could get on I Shouldn't Be Alive?" Bella asked.

"If we do survive... sure," Fiddleford shrugged.

"Don't say that," Stan spoke. "The 'if'. I really don't need to think about the if right now."

"Sorry."

The teens fell back into silence, the same phrase hanging over all of their heads. _'If we do survive.'_

Bud's eyes followed a bird as it flew over them and disappeared into the horizon.

"...hey, don' birds usually fly near land?" Bud asked.

"Some birds," Bella shrugged. "People think it's so they can rest, but some bird species actually just rest in the water."

"Oh," Bud frowned. Preston sat up and squinted at where the bird had disappeared.

"That's- that looks like land, actually," he said. "Look," he pointed at a distant dot in the water, "right there."

"You mean the two dots I've been staring at?" Bella asked.

"Two? There's only one."

"I'm cross-eyed. There's two of 'em for me."

"Oh. Well yeah, there's- right there, it looks like an island," Preston pointed again.

"An island?" Stan perked up. "Well come on, let's get over there!"

"Are we sure it's an island?" Fiddleford asked. "What if we get over there an' it's nothin'?"

"It's not like we're going anywhere," Preston responded. "It's either try getting to a possible island, or sit in the middle of ocean and miss out on what could be the only bit of land for miles."

"...ok, good point," Fiddleford nodded. He dropped into the water and held onto the raft, helping Stan kick them towards the island. As they got closer, the group of five could see that it was definitely land.

"Fuck yeah!" Bella cheered.

"Land ho!" Stan announced happily.

"We ain't gonna be trapped in the raft anymore!" Bud grinned. The group yelled and cheered as they reached the island and Stan and Fiddleford pushed them onto the sand. Bella immediately jumped out and stretched.

"Holy fuck I can move!" Bella laughed. "This is awesome!"

"I never thought I'd be this happy to see a beach," Preston sighed. Bella kept laughing and running around the area, kicking the sand and burying her feet in it.

"Ok, first thing first," Stan began. "Let's populate the island; I call Bella."

Bella punched him in the arm.

"Stan, we ain't gonna 'populate the island'," Fiddleford folded his arms.

"Oh come on, it was a joke!" Stan snickered. Fiddleford rolled his eyes.

"Well, the _real_ firs' thing firs'," he spoke, "we need a fire an' shelter."

"It's a shame neiber of us- neither of us have our glasses because then we could do that uh that sun thing through the lenses," Bella said quickly, bouncing in place.

"Ugh, that's right," Fiddleford frowned.

"Can't you just do that thing where you rub two sticks together?" Stan asked.

"We could," Fiddleford nodded. He looked over at the forest of trees. "Alright y'all, everyone start collectin' wood." He glanced at Bella's bare feet. She had lost her crocs in the storm, and was the only one without any shoes. "'Cept you, Bella."

"Kk!" The teen fell down to sit in the sand and run it through her hands.

"Hey, no fair!" Preston snapped. "How come she doesn't have to help?"

"'Cause'a the fact that the forest floor is usually covered in sticks, rocks, an' bugs, an' in case ya haven't noticed, she don't have shoes on," Fiddleford argued. "The last thin' we need is someone steppin' on a possibly poisonous bug or snake."

"He's got a point," Bud agreed.

"...alright, fine," Preston huffed.

"Bella, could ya move the raft somewhere where it's more obvious?" Fiddleford asked. "If a helicopter goes by, they'll see the raft an' know someone is here."

"Got it," Bella nodded and jumped to her feet. The boys left to the forest to collect wood for a fire, leaving Bella on her own. She tugged the raft towards the center of the beach, away from the waves so it wouldn't get washed away. After she finished, she waited for about five minutes before the others returned.

"Hi!" Bella waved quickly from inside the raft, grinning.

"Hi," Stan smiled back and waved lightly. The four teens tossed the sticks they had gathered into a pile, and Bella gathered a handful of leaves from the ground to toss on top.

"Leaves are great fire starters," she explained. Fiddleford grabbed two sticks and began quickly rubbing them together. Soon, a spark started and caught the leaves on fire, and it soon erupted over all the wood. The five castaways cheered.

"Now fer a shelter," Fiddleford said.

"There's the blanket from the pack," Bella suggested. "We could tie it against a tree and set the raft under it at night and it's like a little tent."

"That's a good idea," Bud agreed.

"Alright then, let's git started," Fiddleford announced.


End file.
